AirAsia Gives Free Flights for Life to Asean Olympic Gold Medallists

Plus free flights for five and two years for silver and bronze medal winners

Chandigarh, 24 AUGUST 2016 – AirAsia announced today that it will give free flights for life to all Asean athletes who won a gold medal at the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

The world's best low-cost airline will also give athletes from the 10-nation grouping who won silver and bronze medals free flights for five and two years respectively.

Eligible athletes will be able to fly to any of the more than 120 destinations within AirAsia and AirAsia X's extensive network in Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa.

AirAsia Group CEO Tony Fernandes said, "I was blown away by the performances from Asean athletes, such as Thailand's Sukanya Srisurat and Sopita Tanasan, Indonesia's Tontowi Ahmad and Liliyana Natsir, as well as Joseph Schooling and Hoang Xuan Vinh, who won Singapore and Vietnam's first ever Olympic gold medal.

"They proved we can achieve anything as long as we believe in ourselves and work tirelessly towards our dream. At AirAsia too, we want to be the best by emulating the best, and these athletes have taught us we should never stop trying to be better. This is the least we could do for them."

He added, "Asean athletes in Rio have shown they can not only compete but excel in top level competitions. We hope this will encourage others in the region to follow in their footsteps, and I look forward to seeing more medals from Asean in future Games."

AirAsia is Asia's largest low-cost carrier by passengers carried and jet fleet, with unmatched frequencies. It is also the only airline to fly direct to all 10 Asean countries, including some 60 unique routes in the region.

AirAsia and AirAsia X form the leading and largest low-cost carrier group in Asia, servicing the most extensive network with over 120 destinations across Asia, Australia, the Middle East and Africa. Since the inception of AirAsia in 2001 and AirAsia X in 2007, the group has carried over 330 million guests. AirAsia has grown its fleet from just two aircraft to over 170 A320s and is proud to be a truly Asean (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) airline with operations in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Philippines and India. AirAsia X operates a core fleet of 31 A330-300s, each with a seat configuration of 12 Premium Flatbeds and 365 economy seats. AirAsia X expanded its regional presence with Thai AirAsia X operating from Bangkok’s Don Mueang International Airport, Thailand and Indonesia AirAsia X operating from Bali, Indonesia. Skytrax named AirAsia the “World’s Best Low Cost Airline” for eight consecutive years from 2009 to 2016 and awarded AirAsia X with the “World's Best Low-Cost Airline Premium Cabin” and “Best Low-Cost Airline Premium Seat” titles for four consecutive years from 2013 to 2016. AirAsia and AirAsia X are the first airlines globally to collaborate with Interpol to implement the I-Checkit system to screen passports of all prospective passengers against information contained in the world police body’s Stolen and Lost Travel Documents (SLTD) database.